Comparative analysis of shock responsive social protection systems

Key Aid Consulting led the Comparative Analysis of Shock Responsive Social Protection (SRSP) Systems across Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritania, and Somalia. The study, implemented under the STAAR Facility, examined how national social protection systems can be adapted to anticipate and respond to shocks, while complementing humanitarian Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA).
Using a mixed-methods approach, the research team conducted an extensive desk review, 87 key informant interviews, and multi-stakeholder validation workshops in each country. The analysis compared SRSP systems through three lenses — financing, political economy, and implementation — to identify key enablers and bottlenecks for integration between humanitarian and social protection responses.
Key findings revealed that while all four countries have made substantial progress in developing social registries and institutional frameworks for SRSP, challenges remain in interoperability, sustainable financing, and coverage of urban and climate-related shocks. Mauritania stood out as a regional leader, demonstrating strong government ownership, effective coordination, and use of a national social registry to align targeting and payment mechanisms across actors.

The study provides strategic recommendations to donors and governments, including the need to:

• Strengthen the preventive and adaptive capacity of SRSP systems;
• Leverage climate finance and risk transfer mechanisms to ensure sustainability;
• Malke case for domestic ownership of SRSP;
• Improve the dynamism and interoperability of social registries to better respond to evolving vulnerabilities.

This analysis contributes to shaping future FCDO investments and global learning on how to build inclusive, shock-responsive, and sustainable social protection systems.